Macquarie University has issued an update to the Records and Information Policy  to comply with new principles set by State Records in March this year.

All universities in NSW must comply with the State Records Act 1998.

Key records management provisions of the Act require public offices to:

• Make and keep records that fully and accurately document their operations and administration.
• Establish and maintain a records management program in conformity with standards and codes of best practice approved by State Records.
• Ensure records are stored in conditions appropriate to their format and preservation requirements.
• Ensure records held in digital or other technology dependent formats are accessible for as long as they are required.

A detailed description of the three new principles can be found on the State Records main website – and in summary are as follows.

Principle 1: Organisations take responsibility for records and information management

Records and information are sustained through system and service transitions by strategies and processes specifically designed to support business and accountability. 

• Policy directing how records and information shall be managed.
• Assigning responsibilities.
• Establishing provisions for records and information in outsourcing and service delivery arrangements.
• Monitoring records and information management activities, systems and processes.

Principle 2: Records and information management support business

The core role of records and information management is to ensure the creation, maintenance, useability and sustainability of the records and information needed for short and long term business operations. 

• Records and information required to meet short and long term needs are identified.
• High risk and high value areas of business and the systems, records and information needed to support these business areas are identified.
• Records and information management is a designed component of all systems and service environments where high risk and/or high value business is undertaken.
• Records and information are managed across all operating environments.
• Records and information management is designed to safeguard records and information with long term value.
• Records and information are sustained through system and service transitions by strategies and processes specifically designed to support business and accountability.

Principle 3: Records and Information are well managed

Effective management of records and information underpins trustworthy, useful and accountable records and information which are accessible and retained for as long as they are needed. This management extends to records and information in all formats, in all business environments, and in all types of systems.

• Records and information are routinely created and managed as part of normal business practice.
• Records and information are reliable and trustworthy.
• Records and information are identifiable, retrievable and accessible for as long as they are required.
• Records and information are protected from unauthorised or unlawful access, destruction, loss, deletion or alteration.
• Access to records and information is managed appropriately in accordance with legal and business requirements.
• Records and information are kept for as long as they are needed for business, legal and accountability requirements.
• Records and information are systematically and accountably destroyed when legally appropriate to do so.

The previous standard on the physical storage of State records remains in place for the storage of non-digital records along with counter disaster requirements applicable to non-digital records.

Register now: Records and Information workshops

If you work with University records or believe you will work with such items in the future, you are strongly encouraged to register for a Records and Information Workshop that will take place each month to assist with compliance to the new principles set out under the State Records Act.

Register now at ask.memory@mq.edu.au 

The workshops will cover the tools currently available to staff to perform the responsibilities and where the central records team can assist in compliance.

For questions or team training contact ask.memory@mq.edu.au